Filenews 26 August 2021 - by Angelos Nikolaou
The forest road from the Baths of Aphrodite to the Fontana Amoroza, which leads to the magnificent beach known as the "Blue Lagoon", on the road where accidents with bikes and buggy vehicles are observed, including three fatal ones, will be closed to visitors in private vehicles with the operation of the Akamas National Forest Park in 2022. The reason for the new discussion on this road was given by the recent road accidents with four-wheeled motorcycles at the location "Kakoskali", along the forest road from the Baths of Aphrodite to Fontana Amoroza, but also at the location "Smyies", within the protected areas of the Natura 2000 Network, a Place of Community Importance and a Special Protection Area of the Akamas Peninsula, as well as the Akamas National Forest Park.
In accordance with the existing plans and the provisions of the Special Ecological Assessment Report for the Sustainable Development Plan of the Akamas National Forest Park, this road will be used exclusively by the staff of the competent authorities for the protection and management of the Natura 2000 Network areas (Department of Forests, Department of Environment, Department of Fisheries and Marine Research), Thira and Fauna Service, Pafos District Administration), the staff of other public services after informing the Department of Forests, as well as by the visitor transport vehicles of the Akamas National Forest Park and the landowners in the area, after obtaining the relevant written permission from the Director of the Department of Forests.
The Special Ecological Assessment Report, which was published by the Department of Environment in June 2021, notes that "there should be openings at the beginning and end of the narrow section, where the width allows it, i.e. it is greater than 3.5 metres".
It is noted that about three years ago the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Costas Kadis, asked for measures such as the installation of a rail on this dangerous road to avoid fatalities. It is noted that the installation of the site by the Department of Forests is planned essentially with the beginning of the operation of the park. In statements to "F" last Saturday, the director of the Department of Forests, Charalambos Alexandrou, said that the works for the improvement of the road will be done by the end of 2022 and includes the installation of a safety barrier and its widening of 2-3 dangerous points.
The local authorities of the area are in favour of widening the road that connects the road Loutra tis Aphrodite – Fontana Amoroza and not of its closure. The commune of Neo Chorio, Andreas Christodoulou Combatos, calls on the competent authorities to proceed immediately to improvement works and for the road to remain open to all.
On the contrary, the Federation of Environmental Organizations of Cyprus (OPOK) stresses that the movement of private vehicles and especially quadbikes on the forest road from the Baths of Aphrodite to Fontana Amoroza should have already been banned and terminated, both for reasons of protection of the natural environment, as well as for reasons of public safety and in particular for reasons of avoiding road accidents. OPOK points out that any maintenance and improvement works of the existing road network in the Akamas Peninsula should be done on the basis of the management measures and the foreseen regulations of the Management Plans of the protected areas of the Natura 2000 Network and the Special Ecological Evaluation Report for the Sustainable Development Plan of the Akamas National Forest Park.
Kadis: The reason why the road cannot be closed now
In the serious counter-argument that exists that if you close the only passage to the beach "Blue Lagoon" by land, without providing an alternative way, you are essentially pushing visitors to the area only with boats, the Minister of Agriculture, Kostas Kadis, refers. He explains that with the operation of the park, there is no provision for widening of the road, only improvement and visitors will only be able to enter by bus of the Department of Forests. Regarding the request for a ban on quadbikes throughout the Akamas, the agriculture minister says that "for years a business activity has been going on that you cannot end". He explained that the road network will be controlled, with environmentally friendly material (not asphalt). At the same time, roads that were opened illegally, 60km long, will be closed to the public. He added that for the quads there will be an additional charge when entering the park since they are polluting vehicles.
"No" quadbikes in Akamas
THE OPOK calls for a complete and definitive ban on the circulation of four-wheeled motorcycles within the protected areas of the Natura 2000 Network and the Akamas National Forest Park, as it has a significant and negative impact on nature and biodiversity, which, among other things, include the degradation of important habitats (mainly sand dunes), the encroachment of wild flora (including endangered and endemic species), nuisance of wildlife species (mainly reptiles and birds) and the increase in falling dust.
It is noted that, in the context of the implementation of the measures provided for the effective protection and rational management of the protected areas of the Natura 2000 Network in the Akamas Peninsula, the competent authorities have already proceeded to the closure of forest roads and road accesses to specific areas (e.g. road accesses along the nesting beaches of sea turtles in the Marine Protected Area of Lara – Toxeftra and a forest road that crosses the habitat of ky. priprian tulip).
The effective protection and rational management of the Natura 2000 Network areas in the Akamas Peninsula imposes the drastic restriction (with clearly defined exceptions, such as land owners, community residents, people with disabilities, etc.) of the movement of private vehicles, the controlled access and movement of vehicles for the transportation of visitors of the Akamas National Forest Park. OPOK believes that the organised movement within the Akamas National Forest Park with vehicles for the transport of visitors on all forest roads should be further strengthened.
